Ray Mickshaw / FOXAmerican Idol's resident rocker grrl is back in action.
Following in the footsteps of winner Kris Allen and Rolling Stone cover boy Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta has inked a deal with 19 Recordings and her debut album is due out this fall.
The 17-year-old bright-redhead from Los Angeles finished fourth on the recently concluded eighth season of Idol, stopping short of the finals but winning a legion of fans with her Joplinesque pipes and beyond-her-years musicality.
"I think I'm still in shock that this is happening — getting to record my first album and this whole awesome experience is a dream come true!" Iraheta said in a statement.
Her deal, first reported by EW.com, comes ahead of what we figure is the inevitable signing by third-placer Danny Gokey to Idol creator Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment outfit.
"There's nothing to report just yet" on the Gokey front, a 19 rep said.
While Iraheta and Allens' albums will be licensed to Jive Records, Lambert's is in affiliation with RCA.